Chapter 4

CHAPTER 4

CORVIN

F rom the sharp cut of his stubble-covered jaw to his deep blue eyes and disheveled brown hair, the mortal was a spectacle to behold. He was as handsome as they came, the perfect blend of old and modern charm, and he exuded the seduction of life. Everything about him made my mouth water and my fangs ache.

The way his heartbeat kicked up, blood thrumming in his veins, had heat rolling through my frigid limbs, sparking long-dormant feelings I no longer thought were possible. Fear bled from him like a fresh wound, and I breathed it in slowly, savoring the taste.

Delicious.

I could only imagine the taste of his lifeblood coating my tongue, how sweet it would be, as he stared up at me in disbelief. I'd expected him to put up more of a fight, to run the moment the chains were off. I'd expected him to scream, to beg, to do something other than stand there studying me.

It seemed he was as intrigued by me as I was by him.

"I'm Ever. Ever Briggs." He paused for a beat, his eyes dropping to linger on my mouth. "Are your fangs…are they real ?"

I grinned, running the tip of my tongue over one of the sharp points. "Of course."

His jaw clenched, his heart still racing frantically, as he mulled over the information. I could sense his curiosity as he tried to connect the dots, tried to figure out what I was, but I'd let him ponder a little longer. His fate was already sealed; There was no sense in rushing things.

It had been so long— decades —since I'd welcomed anyone new into the manor. I could show him around, take my time, toy with him before unveiling the truth. After all, stringing humans along had once been one of my favorite pastimes. I enjoyed the chase, slowly peeling away their armor, making them trust me. Then, I enjoyed shattering that trust and draining them dry.

At least, I had once upon a time, back before my world fell apart.

Before him…

"But why are they?—"

"Come." I cut him off and gestured toward the hall. "Let me show you around."

I was thankful for the distraction. I'd almost let my thoughts wander too far, to a place I'd avoided for far too long. Even after all these years, there were things that haunted me, things I wished I could change. Dark memories that made me ache, tugging at my heartstrings that had remained stone still for over a century. I didn't regret many things in my long life, but he was one of them, my greatest mistake.

In fact, as much as I hated to admit it, Ever reminded me of him a bit…

"It's been a long time since we've had a visitor," I said, cutting off the half-formed thought. "Many years."

"Can't imagine why." He scoffed a laugh.

Fighting a smirk, I led the way down the hall to the grand entryway, stealing glances at him along the way. His eyes widened at the high ceiling and chandelier glittering overhead before sweeping around the room to take it all in. I paused, admiring the wonder in his eyes.

Fear no longer wept from him, instead replaced by something else. Curiosity? Awe? I couldn't place it, and I also couldn't tear my eyes from him.

"The manor was built in eighteen eighty seven." I crossed the space to stand by the staircase, watching Ever carefully. The front door was only a few feet away, and I wondered if he would chance an escape if I let him.

It would be futile—no one could outrun me—but I wanted to see if he'd try.

He didn't.

"It looks just like the pictures," he said, his gaze dragging back to me. His eyes lingered, locking with mine, igniting the spark I felt earlier that had warmth rolling through me. After a tense moment, he looked away again. "Better, even, because they're all black and white."

"Pictures," I repeated, recalling the few times I allowed photographers into my home. Back then, I lived for the attention, throwing parties to lure the locals into a false sense of security. It was what I did best, before picking them off one by one, making their deaths look like accidents.

It wasn't easy, but that made it all the more fun.

"There aren't many." He slowly made his way over to a low table, running his fingers gingerly over the wood, streaking the thin layer of dust on top. "All from events or parties."

"Yes, there were many of those," I recalled. Sometimes, even a century later, I missed the extravagant evenings spent watching mortals binge themselves on alcohol only to make fools of themselves later. Drunk blood wasn't the best, but it was the easiest. "Once upon a time, things were much livelier around here."

The way his eyes shot back to mine took me so off guard that I nearly missed his next question. "What happened?"

"What happened?" I repeated, clearing my throat.

Memories instantly sprung to mind, a quick succession of images that had plagued me for years, even though I did my best to ignore them, to forget them. This life of isolation was my punishment for chasing happiness when I should have known better.

There was no true happiness for the damned.

"A change was needed," I said, swallowing down the nostalgia that made my throat tight. "One that, unfortunately, meant the end of the manor's entertainment era."

I tugged at the hem of my coat just as the melody from the grand piano floated down the hall. It was Edith's favorite pastime, banging away at those infernal keys, and while she'd gotten impressively good over the last decade, I desperately wished she'd learn some new songs. The same handful got old quickly.

"Come, let me show you more of the manor," I said, turning to lead the way up the stairs. "I'm sure you have more questions, and if not, you will soon."

He hesitated for a moment, but then his footsteps followed along behind mine. Still a little surprised he hadn't run when my back was turned, I fought a smirk at how easily he obeyed. He was playing right into my hand like clay, easily manipulated and molded.

Maybe he didn't need to die…

The thought surprised me, as I'd been intent on killing him up until this very moment, eager to bleed every last drop of blood from him. It was a silly thought to keep a human around, especially considering what happened last time, but I didn't hate the idea. In fact, the possibilities were already playing out in my mind as we stepped into the library and I whirled around to see the look on Ever's face.

"Impressive, isn't it?" I gestured to the ceiling-high shelves laden with thousands of books. I'd read them all at least twice, memorizing the words and stories on their ancient pages. I spent a lot of time in this room thinking, wasting the endless amount of time granted to me by my affliction. It was one of the only places I never tired of.

"It's amazing." His pulse kicked up as a smile found his face, and I spouted some of the useless facts about the library I used to recite to impress the party guests. They were memorized, well-practiced, empty words, but they made his eyes light up nevertheless. I hated how much I enjoyed the life in them.

Ever was a breath of fresh air to this old corpse of a house, moving like a refreshing breeze, brightening every dull room that had lost its luster. I both loved and hated the feeling, resenting him for the way he warmed my cold flesh and piqued my interest.

I carried on, showing him what remained upstairs before leading him back to the ground level. I hardly glanced at the opulent rooms, bored with their monotony. I watched him instead, reveling in his interest. He didn't just come to find the manor, he came to see it, admiring every room, every secret corner.

His eagerness annoyed me. It excited me. It stirred long-dead feelings and made me miss what my life used to be, back before I shunned everyone outside the mansion and reserved myself to a lonely life with my few servants. Two of which are now dead , I reminded myself.

Finally, when we'd seen every room in the manor—some more than once—we returned to the entryway. I whirled to face him. He stopped short, nearly running into me, and I noted the jump in his heartbeat.

Being close to me made him nervous, but I couldn't blame him. Even the bravest of men paled in the presence of a true predator.

"Everything is to your liking, then?" I asked, daring to pick a piece of lint off his shoulder. His breath faltered.

"It's incredible, the most beautiful home I've ever seen," he said. "Thank you for showing me around."

"Of course." I nodded slightly, a grin tugging at my lips. "I wanted to make sure you were comfortable in your new home."

Silence swallowed us, the only sound being Ever's heart slamming against his ribs. He opened his mouth to speak, a furrow forming between his dark brows. "I-I don't understand. My new home?"

"That's correct." I laid a hand on his shoulder, squeezing the tense muscle just enough to convey my seriousness. "I said you'd pay for slaughtering my servants, but I failed to say how. You see, you're going to take their place."